Sony Xperia Z1 Review: First Impressions

Sony's Android handset line has been steadily improving since they took full control of the Sony Ericsson project and rebranded it Sony Mobile Communications. their first flagship handset was the Xperia S, with strict design lines and a solid hardware design. It was competent, but did not do enough to stand out in the crowd. This was followed by the Xperia T, which went in the wrong direction style wise, but addressed some of the hardware issues shown in the Xperia S, and picked up some nice PR thanks to being the 'James Bond' phone from Skyfall.

Earlier this year, Sony managed to get on base with the Xperia Z. Announced at CES, the hardware reached the top end of the Android scale, and while the design was still angular and blocky, it portrayed Sony's own design language to good effect. The Xperia range was finding its identity.

Which brings me to the Sony Xperia Z1.

It's certainly well specced, and was one of the first smartphones to be announced with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800. Running a quad-core CPU at 2.2 GHz, with 2GB of RAM, and 16 GB of internal storage. The Xperia Z1 is a fast phone, and in operation I've yet to see any slow-down or stuttering in applications. That power does come at an energy cost so while the inclusion of a 3050 mAh battery might seem an attractive choice for the power user, but that power is needed to get through a working day.

With 4G LTE connectivity, and a 1080p resolution screen, that shouldn't be a surprise. The Xperia Z1 hardware can take up a lot of power, so it's a smart decision to get as much battery capacity into the chassis as possible. Unlike Samsung's Galaxy S4, the battery in the Z1 is a sealed unit. I suspect that part of this is down to needing a custom shape to get as much volume for the battery chemistry, but most of the thinking will be down to the waterproof design.

The Z1 is waterproof and dustproof, to IP55 and IP58 standards. I'm glad Sony has kept this touch in their high end handsets, and it makes a tangible difference to how I feel about the phone, especially with the upcoming Scottish winter. I'm also glad to see that while the gurney flaps are still present to cover the USB and MicroSD slots, the headphone jack is now exposed. On The Xperia Z this jack was also behind a gurney flap, leading to a rather fragile door hanging out on the handset. That's not the case on the Xperia Z1.

The Z1 also is more comfortable to hold than the Z. Where the earlier flagship had hard edges and noticeable plastic edging, the Z1 has a metal edge around the spine, curving out slightly from the glass front and back. The Z1 feels a lot more comfortable to hold, and is reminiscent of the mid-range Xperia SP from this summer. Yes, the waterproofing does add slightly to the bulk, but the extra volume and the addition of some shallow curves on the edges, as opposed to the 90 degree edges on the Z, mean the Z1 is a comfortable phone to hold straight out of the box.

Sony's own UI sits on top of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, and doesn't impose itself. Sony does not duplicate email or web browser functionality with their own apps (in a way that Samsung does on the Galaxy), but are using their own suite of apps for audio and video playback (using the Walkman brand), browsing images, and accessing Sony's media library online to purchase music and films.

It's a vision of Android that makes it easier for existing Android users to switch to the handset, but it doesn't provide as much lock in as other Android manufacturers have employed. I like that approach, but I can see those working on strategy wondering how long Sony will keep this open approach with their users. There are some tweaks to the menus and icon layout in the app screens, but there are no fundamental changes to the environment compared to previous handsets.

In use the Snapdragon 800 processor does give the Z1 a nice slick use. Transitions in the UI, and switching between apps is smooth and lag-free. Inside some applications where previously there was some stutter in the graphics and reacting to user inputs on older Sony handsets, these are no longer present. The timed game 'Dots' is a good example here (it finally feels as smooth as the iPad version).

While the metal edging of the Z1 makes it more comfortable to hold than the Xperia Z, it is a few millimetres wider, which makes one-handed usage just that little bit more precarious. The Z1 has pushed out a little bit in each direction, and the size-creep that you can see in other Android manufacturers are still on show here. But it does feel a little bit more ergonomic in use.

That's obviously with my rather large hands, I don't see this being a phone for one handed use by everyone.

My first few days with the Sony Xperia Z1 have been good. The device is more than capable of day to day mobile tasks, and the 20 megapixel camera has some interesting software designed by Sony to give the best images ever from a Sony smartphone, with some good in-camera and post production effects.

I'll be taking a closer look at the Z1 over the next seven days, and writing up my thoughts in-depth next week here on Forbes. But for now, the Xperia Z1 looks like Sony's best Android device yet.